Key GOP House candidate declines to support Boehner for speaker

An interesting tidbit out of Texas: A GOP House candidate in a high-profile race that's emerging as a must-win for Republicans conspicuously sidestepped questions about whether he would support John Boehner as the next Speaker of the House.

"Next question," the GOP candidate answered when asked by a constituent how he feels about Boehner.

The candidate in question is self-funding businessman Bill Flores, who's challenging Dem Rep. Chet Edwards in a very competitive contest for one of the most conservative districts controlled by Dems. Observers say that the GOP will need to win races like this one in order to have a chance at seizing control of the House.

FLORES: I really don't want to talk about anybody today. I've got a race to run and then, what I want to have in Congress is, I want to have the right leadership.

MAN: Would you support him?

FLORES: I would rather not answer that question...if you don't mind.

Flores's campaign manager, Matt Mackowiak, downplayed the episode, accusing Dems of surreptiously recording the exchange. "All this audio shows is that: Bill Flores is focused on winning the Congressional race in front of him and that Edwards' campaign is so afraid and desperate that they are smuggling in recording devices to Flores' town hall meetings," he emailed.

In recent days Republicans have aggressively highlighted cases where Dem candidates have fled from Obama and Nancy Pelosi, arguing that the Dem agenda has become poisonous in marginal districts.

Dems, however, will likely pounce on this to argue that the current GOP leadership, and the GOP's overall brand, have also become toxic -- so much so that top-tier GOP candidates are working to achieve separation from them in order to remain competitive in the toughest races.

This sounds like good politics to me. The fact is that many conservatives, myself among them, simply don't trust career politicians, including many career Republicans.

Boehner was there when the Republicans went astray. When the Democrats point out that a republican majority overspent, they have facts to prove it.

the situation is just more nuanced than so called pundits like Mr Sargent care to imagine. The bumper sticker that sums up the attitude well says "Fire Congress". I'm fine with that. There are some Republicans who are sufficiently conservative to satisfy, but many are not. Boehner has to atone and he has not.

The Republican Tea Party crop of candidates 2010! Non-stop nuttery and racism. It literally N-E-V-E-R E-N-D-S with these scumbags.

* Kan. GOP candidate's campaign links to racist blog *

Republican congressional candidate Mike Pompeo apologized Thursday after his campaign posted on its Twitter feed and Facebook page a link to a blog that uses a racial slur to refer to his Democratic opponent and calls President Barack Obama an "evil muslim communist USURPER."

[...]

The offending tweet told Pompeo's followers, "Here's a good read," and linked to a blog of retired Gunnery Sgt. Bob Pinkstaff in which he refers to the president as an "evil muslim communist USURPER" and Goyle as a term clearly meant to be dergatory toward people of Indian descent that uses the word turban.

The issue garnered a lot of attention Thursday after Goyle's campaign sent out a press release accusing Pompeo's campaign of making "a conscientious and tactical decision" to find the blog, create a smaller "url" link and post it on their campaign social media.

Just when you think you've reached rock-bottom with the Republican Party...

"""Marg Baker, a Republican state House candidate in Florida, recently spoke to a Glenn Beck activist group about her ideas for detaining illegal immigrants: internment camps.

"We can follow what happened back in the '40s or '50s," Barker told her right-wing allies. "I was just a little girl in Miami, and they built camps for the people that snuck into the country, because they were illegal. They put them in the camps, and they shipped them back. We can do that.

[...]

Salon's Justin Elliott spoke to Baker yesterday.

"We can ship them out to the middle of the country and put up high walls and leave them there," said Marg Baker, the middle-aged real estate broker vying for the Republican nomination in the state's 48th district, north of Tampa. [...]

Asked if what she had in mind was more like the Japanese internment camps of the World War II era, Baker said, "something like that. But unfortunately in the Japanese camps they detained American citizens. The only ones I want to detain are the ones who are illegal."""""

To be honest and consistent on this subject, I think you have got it all wrong, like you did when Conway gave the same reply when asked about backing Reid for majority leader.

Any candidate who start picking a leader, before thet have won their own election, would be depicted, by their opponents, as taking the voters for granted, and assuming that they had the contest locked up.

I think, it this case, and the Conway situation, the candidates gave the smart answers to the questions.

"current GOP leadership, and the GOP's overall brand, have also become toxic"

Yes.

That is a FACT.

Look at all the polling. The GOP consistently polls worse than both Obama and the Dems.

SO glad you have picked up on this angle Greg. It seems to be downplayed or ignored in the media. Just like the fact that the Hispanic vote will incredibly valuable to the Dems this year and could easily counter-act the Republican Tea Party's enthusiasm.

The man is OK. I wish I could vote for him. I don't know why anyone would even elect Congressman Boner let alone choose him for House Speaker. He is an empty suit. He is a brainless clown. He is a disgrace. Besides, has anyone ever seen the man smile?

This candidate, if elected, might end up backing Boehner for the leadership spot. He just avoided answer the question, or taking a stand. He never said he wouldn't back him, should he be in a position to do so.

Wow. This is silly. This is just good politics for this district. Chet Edwards, similarly, is an "independent-minded Democrat who focuses on his district and isn't afraid to buck party leadership." The important thing is that Flores won't vote for Pelosi. As a young gun, he might vote for Cantor if he runs for Speaker. A real stretch here and much ado over nothing. (And it seems the liberal echo chamber must be pushing this story - also over at The Atlantic.)

I've said a hundred times that the Republican party can't even begin the long journey back to some sort of national relevancy until the day that they dump their current radical leadership in congress. But I also don't see that happening this year, Bill Flores or no Bill Flores, unless Democrats manage to pull off some pretty huge upset in the exceptions game. Any moderate voices they still have remaining in their caucus have gotten so used to keeping their heads down an following orders by now that it would likely take at least one more major humiliation at the polls to produce any real change in behavior.

You might be interested in this NYT editorial from earlier in the week. The DOJ intends to force states to enact all the provisions of the 1993 National Voter Registration Act, which will make it easier for low income people to vote, and make organizations like ACORN less needed.

We really need more 'stand 'em up against the wall' KKKonservatives who won't tolerate the slightest whiff of disagreement.
It's gonna be 'free market, march back to the past' or else in DC and you WILL love it.
The only way to make a failed political, economic and social philosophy work is to force everyone to adopt it.
(Psst! Has the ethics committee finished with Hensnarling yet?)

"The ruling by the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan reversed a decision by a district court judge in Brooklyn that found Congress had violated the group's rights by punishing it without a trial.

"Congress cut off ACORN's federal funding last year in response to allegations the group engaged in voter registration fraud and embezzlement and violated the tax-exempt status of some of its affiliates by engaging in partisan political activities.

...

"ACORN responded with a lawsuit accusing Congress of abusing its power with what amounted to a "corporate death sentence."

"The appeals court disagreed, citing a study finding that ACORN received only 10 percent of its funding from federal sources."

John Boehner is negative and critical of any plans or ideas that are not his. He does not belong in the U. S. Congress and CERTAINLY does not fill the criteria for House Speaker. No, I am not a liberal Democrat; I am a moderate Republican miles further left than Boehner. It is not the Democrats who are going to do us in; it is the ultra-right Republicans led by Boehner, Ryan and a few others who need to get out of the 20th century and join those of us marching in the 21st century.

If the Republicans win the House, don't even think about choosing a hard-righter for speaker. Choose a bright, moderate Republican who will cooperate with Democrats to get things done.

I am old enough to remember when the parties worked together for the good of the nation and its people. It is time for both parties to learn that lesson.

I guess that could be an interesting story if we knew why he deflected the question. Of more interest to this reader was why his response evoked a chuckle from the crowd? Maybe it's a Texan thing, like they like their steaks rare, not overcooked.

This is so so so much ado about nothing. Constituents, or reporters, or anyone else can ask questions on any topic; candidates do not have to answer and in some cases they should not question. What if someone else runs against Boehner, someone who might be even better? Why make a statement of support before the election?

The best thing the GOP could do to stay relevant for Americans under 70 years old is get rid of Boner, Hatch, DeMent, Larry "Wide Stance" Craig and the rest of the Bush-Cheney minions.

They all spent 8 years wasting America - turning the Clinton budget surplus into a deficit and getting us into two wars.

After just 18 months of Obama administration, we have a start for healthcare reform, financial reform, an economic stimulus plan that basically kept us out of another Great Depression, and we are down to 50,000 troops in Iraq.

All this with TOTAL repubican obstruction and Boner was leading the charge.

GOP, throw out your trash and go back to the drawing board. America needs both parties working FOR us.

To me Boehmer has been one of the even more heartless Republicans and if even one other shows a tinge of being against this speaker it may renew my faith in what I considered the party of greed and corruption. Boehmer would say NO the sun comes up in the West in his complete oppoosition to anything democratic.

John Boehner has already shown his ability to direct the agenda of the House of Rep...he was the leader during the years that:
1)the Clinton surplus was wasted away,
2)the crash of the economy,
3)the unnecessary war of Iraq was waged,
4)the only thing that increased under his leadership was the largest deficits in the history of the country,
5)exporting of American worker's jobs
6)the banking crisis-and the TARP bailout
7)Congress's lobbying scandle

The list goes on and on and on...his record as a leader has to be one of the worst in the history of this country..

It looks like the only thing Boehner did was increase his time in the tanning booth and improve his golf game...cuz he sure did not work for interests of the Country or the American people. It is very sad when even your own members say that he is not a hard worker or planner....

The only reason the candidate say next question is that he does not want to get into making his election a sure thing and it speaks volumes about Boehner's leadership and his penchant for avoid answering the question specifically asked.

"The ruling by the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan reversed a decision by a district court judge in Brooklyn that found Congress had violated the group's rights by punishing it without a trial.

"Congress cut off ACORN's federal funding last year in response to allegations the group engaged in voter registration fraud and embezzlement and violated the tax-exempt status of some of its affiliates by engaging in partisan political activities.

...

"ACORN responded with a lawsuit accusing Congress of abusing its power with what amounted to a "corporate death sentence."

"The appeals court disagreed, citing a study finding that ACORN received only 10 percent of its funding from federal sources."

http://www.startribune.com/nation/100629899.html

Posted by: sbj3
----------
Still it is not the end because it still ongoing.

As a conserv, I could care less if John does become Speaker. I want as many leftist socialist pacifist Dems to go that if Mike Pence, Erik Cantor, or Paul Ryan became Speaker I would be very happy. The one political piece of rhetoric that a Pub candidate should be able to ask is this: Do you want San Fran Nan and Snarky Harry to lead Congress to more taxing and spending and border in-security and perfection of socialist Obamacare for the next few decades??? That alone should alert voters to drop every Dem like a hot anvil. And btw, few know who John B is anyhow but all know San Fran Nan and Snarky Harry.

I was in attendance at this town hall meeting. Flores answered honestly and I appreciate that. The person who recorded this did not truthfully identify themselves as a reporter or otherwise. If this is Edwards best campaign strategy, there will for sure be one less Pelosi vote in January!

I saw an interview Boehner did with I think it was the Iowa Tribune. I swear if he wasn't drunk he was on drugs. It was just like interviews you see with punk kid gangsta rappers. All attitude like they are doing you a favor allowing you to talk to them. On top of that he kept contradicting himself. When asked about Obama's temporary moratorium on deepwater drilling he said he opposed it. Then as the conversation continued he said that he would support a 6 month recess period on deepwater drilling until there is more information on exactly what went wrong on the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform. That is exactly what the purpose of the temporary moratorium is. He was just babbling stuff from out in right field. It was the epitome of trying to have a conversation with someone stoned out of their gourd but without the pompous attitude Boehner displayed in his string of stupid comments and contradictions. He is everything that is wrong with Congress and needs to be tossed out on his head.

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